


A Pact, A Vow

by LyriaBlackFrost



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Domestic Fluff, Dragon Ryuji, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-17
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-02-08 02:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21468574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Kanji and Ryuji are a mage and a dragon who made a pact with each other, which—in all honesty—felt more like a marriage than a way to increase their magic power.
Relationships: Sakamoto Ryuji/Tatsumi Kanji
Comments: 9
Kudos: 20





	A Pact, A Vow

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably my rarest ship at the moment. Kanji and Ryuji are my favorite characters from each game, and I love to imagine them together, as friends or as a couple. Just imagine how many knitting and baking lessons they would share... Such a wholesome ship. <3
> 
> I hope you enjoy the fic!

Kanji heard the noise of something big landing just outside of his house, and a smile took his lips. He adjusted the ribbon around the small, fluffy dress that he was making as part of a commission for a collection of detailed dolls. By the time he was finished, Ryuji was already inside the house, back from his habitual evening flight to both exercise and make sure that nothing was wrong on their surroundings. He closed the door, wearing the pair of trousers he had left on the hanger by the entrance—Kanji had complained many times about his habit of walking naked around the house, so he got used to it with time.

He sat on the floor next to Kanji, rubbing his head against his arm, a sound similar to a purr escaping his lips. Even in his human form he still acted like a dragon, showing affection in that clumsy but tender manner that only a few humans were lucky enough to experience. Kanji reached for his head, stroking his hair while Ryuji observed his most recent creation.

“You finished it?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Kanji took the dress in his hand, holding it close to Ryuji’s face. “Whaddya think?”

Ryuji observed it for a moment, then touched the delicate lace adorns with his finger.

“Looks like a tiny pink cake,” he said with a small giggle. “It’s cute.”

Kanji’s smile widened. Of course he knew it was cute, anyone with eyes could see that… But Ryuji’s approval still made him feel proud of himself. Ryuji’s eyes followed him as he placed the dress again on that low wood table.

“Hey…” said Ryuji. “Can you teach me how to do it too?”

The question made Kanji look at him, narrowing his eyes in fake annoyance.

“You gave up halfway last time…”

Ryuji groaned, looking to the side. He was able to completely turn into a human if he so wished, but when the two of them were alone in their house, he preferred to keep his intermediate form, with a human-shaped body, but keeping a pair of wings, small horns, and a trail of golden scales that partially covered his neck, upper arms, back, and legs. And, even in his full human form, his eyes kept a bright-golden color that gave away his true identity. Not that Kanji could say much about it: since he and Ryuji made a pact with each other, almost four years before, his gray eyes acquired a thin golden ring around them, almost imperceptible unless someone paid close attention to them.

“It looked like shit,” muttered Ryuji. “I was gettin’ angry just to look at it.”

“What the hell were you expecting from your first try?”

“Not a piece of garbage.”

Kanji gave him a light knock on the head.

“Ow…” complained Ryuji.

“That’s what you get for being such a dick to yourself.”

Despite his words, Kanji placed his arm around Ryuji’s neck. Ryuji grumbled as he leaned against his shoulder, resting his head on it and taking a deep breath. His body relaxed and, to Kanji’s amusement, he started to purr again.

“You’ll fall asleep like this,” said Kanji after a minute.

“Not if you keep blabberin’ on my ear.”

“That’s some attitude, coming from a lazy, scaly cat,” Kanji sighed. “Just don’t come to me complaining that your back hurts later.”

Ryuji pouted at him, but didn’t protest. Deep down, he knew Kanji was right.

“If you wanted a cat so much, you should’ve gotten one as a companion instead of me,” he said with excessive bitterness to his tone. “I’m sure you’d be way happier with a dumb cat that only sleeps all day, and ruins all the stuff you do.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Kanji sighed. “You say that like I had any choice.”

That was an obvious lie, and Ryuji knew it: that pact meant the world for both of them, and despite their provocations, they never tried to hide it. Actually, in many ways, it felt more like a marriage than a simple pact to increase their magic powers.

The two of them had first met when they were still small children, and, despite the inherent distrust between their species, the two became fast friends. When Kanji obtained his mage license, soon after turning twenty, the two of them finally made that pact that they had secretly been planning for such a long time. It didn’t stop other mages and dragons from frowning at their choice, of course… That was part of the reason why they decided to live in that secluded place, only going to the nearby cities to either visit their mothers and friends, or to buy groceries and crafting materials, among other things. Living like that, far from the other people they cared about, hadn’t been easy in the beginning—in some ways, it was still difficult. However, despite everything, they were both happy with that life they made for themselves from scratch.

Yet, neither of them would pass up the chance to throw all the _blame_ for their relationship on each other, as an inside joke that followed them since the beginning.

Ryuji lied down with his head on Kanji’s lap, making sure to keep an irritated expression all the time.

“Y’know your life would be fuckin’ boring without me around,” he retorted. “You’d be sad, and lonely, and starvin’ too. You can complain as much as you want, but you know you can’t live without me.”

“Says the guy who’s glued to me the whole day…” observed Kanji.

“That’s ‘cause I love you. Unlike you, who keep callin’ me a cat…”

Ryuji’s words were followed by a long yawn. Kanji chuckled, ruffling his hair.

“Go to bed,” he said.

“Don’t wanna.”

“Ryuji…”

“Don’t wanna.”

Saying that, Ryuji turned his body around, hugging Kanji’s waist and closing his eyes.

“I’m too tired to get up from here,” he said.

“Too tired to go to sleep?”

“Yeah.”

Kanji shook his head, holding back a smile while he patted Ryuji’s arm.

“Make some effort,” he said. “You know you’ll be in pain tomorrow if you stay here.”

Ryuji grumbled in protest a little longer, but soon gave in. He turned on his back, looking at Kanji’s face.

“Fine…” he said, extending his arms like a small child. “Carry me, then.”

Kanji furrowed his brow at him, in disbelief.

“Like hell,” he said. “You have any idea of how damn heavy you are?”

“I don’t care,” answered Ryuji. “You’re strong enough for that.”

Aware that it would be useless to argue, Kanji let out a defeated sigh.

“Yeah, yeah…” he said. “That’s what I get for pampering you so much.”

Ryuji showed a satisfied smile when Kanji leaned forward, letting Ryuji hug his neck. He needed to make a big effort to get up with that extra weight, but Ryuji didn’t let go despite his protests. After some clumsy first attempts, he finally managed to get on his feet, with Ryuji’s arms and legs tightly around him. He carried his companion to the bed, but as soon as he placed him over the mattress, Ryuji turned to the side, bringing Kanji down with him. A surprised yelp left Kanji’s throat, and Ryuji giggled, seeming pleased with himself.

“Gotcha,” he said.

Kanji narrowed his eyes, knowing that he shouldn’t be surprised by that point.

“You planned all this, didn’t you?” he asked.

“No,” answered Ryuji with a slight shrug, “but I saw a chance and took it.”

“Yeah, ‘course you did…”

Ryuji showed a big, fangy smile, and Kanji leaned forward, kissing his forehead. Ryuji still had his arms and legs around him, holding him close, with no signs of letting go.

“You won’t let go of me, will ya?” asked Kanji.

“No way,” answered Ryuji. “Not now that I got all warm and comfy here.”

“How can you be this clingy?”

“You complain, but you love me.”

Kanji couldn’t hold back a smile, and Ryuji placed a kiss on his lips.

“Can I at least change my clothes?” asked Kanji.

Ryuji grumbled in protest, but ended up letting go of him.

“Fine…” he said. “But be quick about it or I’ll go out there and drag you right back.”

“Out there, in the distant land of five meters away.”

“I’m already gettin’ lonely…”

He said that in such a sad voice that Kanji rolled his eyes, quickly changing into his more comfortable sleeping clothes. He went back to the bed, lying beside Ryuji, then turning his body to the side, allowing his companion to embrace him from behind.

“Better now?” he asked.

“Very much,” answered Ryuji, kissing his shoulder.

They spent some time like that, and getting in bed soon made a nice feeling of sleepiness get to Kanji. Before he could fall asleep, however, something came back to his mind.

“Hey, Ryuji…” he called in a low voice, just to make sure he was still awake.

“Hm?”

“I’ll teach you how to make dolls tomorrow,” proceeded Kanji. “But I won’t let ya give up halfway this time.”

Ryuji celebrated with a cute laugh that made Kanji want to turn around and kiss him. But he was too comfortable to move, so he chose to, instead, kiss him twice the next morning.

“You better prepare yourself,” muttered Ryuji against his back, “‘cause my dolls are gonna be _so_ much cuter than yours.”

“You’re welcome to try.”

Ryuji hummed to himself, satisfied, as he snuggled against Kanji’s back, covering their bodies with one wing. Kanji said a command, and the light from the runes that illuminated the house slowly faded, until there was nothing but a dim glow around them, enough so Ryuji wouldn’t feel uneasy—he hated dark places—but not enough to disturb their eventual sleep.

“I love you, you grumpy mage,” whispered Ryuji.

Kanji smiled to himself.

“And I love you, you scaly cat.”

Ryuji hugged him a little tighter, and the familiar sensation made Kanji close his eyes while feeling safe and loved, soon falling asleep as if he didn’t have a single care in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone else on this ship with me?
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it!


End file.
